James W T Hogg

Red-breasted Merganser and Vega Gull

Lovely golden evening light in some of these.

The other pic doesn’t quite capture the scene. Two ducks navigating heavy swell, crashing waves and diving through the crests.

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Golden light and Goldeneyes…

Common Goldeneye

Sunny evenings in Hokkaido’s sheltered harbours are quite wonderful, maybe you forget quite how cold it is…

Found; northern hemisphere (Eurasia and N America), breeds in boreal forests, winters further south.

#birds #birding #ducks #hokkaido

These pics were taken at the famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, which can be pretty busy and touristy. It was also very steamy and not snowy, so not the conditions for the classic photo of a monkey with a frosty head. Nevertheless, worth a visit and a nice day out from Tokyo.

Japanese Macaque - aka Snow Monkey

In the mountains near Nagano it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey…

However, there is a hot-spring and some humans have built a nice hot tub and put out some food. So it’s probably not that bad.

#snowmonkey #mammals #japan #wildlife

Harlequin Duck

A pretty duck! These were a common sight in harbours and close to shore, yet seemingly at ease in heavy seas

They breeds at fast flowing rivers and winter in groups at the coast.

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #ducks #hokkaido

Slaty-backed Gull

A common north-east Asian gull. I suppose it’s equivalent of the more western Lesser Black-backed Gull.

These were very abundant in Hokkaido, some close-ups after the sunset shot and some bonus Pelagic Cormorants in the last pic.

#birds #birding #gulls #hokkiado

There certainly was something magical watching them around sunset on a partially frozen lake.

Whooper Swan

There is something quite emotionally stimulating about swans and few birds have been such an inspiration to human culture.

Whopper Swans have a huge range, those that that breed in Far Eastern Russia winter in Japan.

Hokkaido, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Japanese Serow

A type of goat-antelope endemic to Japan. After severe overhunting nearly made them extinct they were made a National Monument in the 1955. Numbers are now at a sustained level.

#mammals #serow #japan #wildlifephotography

There certainly was something magical watching them around sunset on a partially frozen lake.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Another species that spans Eurasia at mid-high latitudes. Ssp. Dendrocopos major japonicus

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #hokkaido #woodpecker

Thanks Richard, if anyone knows it’s you 🙏

I spent quite a long time trying to decide what these were at the time and clearly got it wrong. Though I’m sure we had both Willow and Marsh at different times. The Ssp in Japan did seem closer in appearance to each other than those in W Europe.

Thank you 🙏

Willow Tit

Yet another widely ranging species across mid-high latitude Eurasia. This one being Ssp. Poecile montanus restrictus - endemic to Japan.

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birdjng #birdphotography #hokkaido

There always one…

The #Birdoftheday theme being “shout it out”.

Slaty-backed Gulls and Pelagic Cormorants.

Hokkaido, Dec 25 - it was even colder than it looks.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido #japan

Short-eared Owl

A winter visitor to Hokkaido, probs from Russia (east Siberia, Kamchatka).

Widespread and on most continents except Australasia and Antarctica. This one seen in Japan, but the same Ssp. as nearly all of the Nth hemisphere.

#birds #birding #owls #hokkaido

Thank you 🙏

Japanese Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris orientis

A sub-species of Eurasian Red Squirrel that is endemic to Hokkaido.

Rather cute!

Hokkaido, Dec 25

#squirrels #hokkaido #mammals #wildlifephotography

For taxonomy fans, this is Sitta europaea clara. The last part of the trinomial refers to Clara Stein, the wife of a German taxidermist.

Eurasian Nuthatch

An enormous range across the much of Eurasia. Like the Jay i posted there is a lot of variation across the range, the birds in Hokkaido are very clean and almost a bit icy compared to the UK birds.

Hokkaido, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Charming little birds. I saw quite a few of these on our trip, the best sighting was a few as part of a little mixed winter feeding flock. They certainly made a chilly walk worthwhile…

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

A small 13-15cm woodpecker found in Japan (as the name suggests) and also parts of E Russia, E China, N & S Korea.

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Birds (Ssp. Garrulus glandarius bambergi) in Japan look really quite different to the birds in the UK, note the really orangey head and dark iris.

A smart looking bird in any case, and really good at hiding nuts. Forgotten nuts can grow into trees, so these birds are beneficial for reforestation.

Eurasian (Brandt’s) Jay

This species has a huge range across much of Eurasia, the Middle East, parts of North Africa, parts of SE Asia and Japan. There is quite a lot of variation across the range.

Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Japanese Raccoon Dog or Tanuki

Canid, endemic to Japan. In 🇯🇵 folklore, they are mischievous, jolly, shape shifting masters of disguise who play their belly drums to scare unsuspecting travellers. See the film Pom Poko.

Tsurui, Hokkaido, Dec 25

#mammals #wildlifephotography #hokkaido #japan

Masked Bunting

A cool little bird that breeds in forests in N Japan and Russia, then winters in S Japan. This one at Kasai Rinkai park near Tokyo.

Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #japan

Dusky Thrush

I saw quite a few of these, my first at Kasai Rinkai Park, set against a backdrop of pink flowers was especially memorable.

Breeds central and eastern Siberia, winters in China, the Koreas, Japan, Taiwan.

Kasei Rinkai Park, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #birdphotography #japan

P 5 & 6. Is an immature.

On winter mornings you can see considerable numbers of eagles warming up around Furen Lake, Hokkaido. Quite magical on a still sunny day. Bloody freezing otherwise…

#japan #naturephotography

White-tailed Eagle

A widely distributed species across Eurasia. They eat a lot of fish, but also mammals and birds.

Pic 4. Additional aStellar’s Sea-Eagle and Black-headed Gull.

Dec 25, Nemuro Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan

#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido

Bull-head Shrike

Kasai Rinkai Park, Japan, Dec 25

#birds #birding #japan #birdphotography